The Performance-Perceptual Test as a Counseling Tool

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Portland,
Oregon97201

Purpose:

The purpose of the study is to determine whether a new test of ability to understand speech
in noise and an associated counseling program can improve hearing aid satisfaction.
Participants complete routine hearing tests, some hearing-related questionnaires and the new
speech test. One group of participants receives the new form of counseling, the second group
does not. Hearing aid satisfaction following 10 weeks hearing aid use is compared across the
groups.

Study summary:

Hearing aid dissatisfaction continues to be disappointingly high, even though hearing aid
technology has improved dramatically over the last 10 years or so. Unfortunately, the
results of most commonly used self-report measures cannot be directly compared with the
results from performance measures since the modes of testing are very different. Thus, it is
hard for clinicians to reconcile data from individuals reporting more handicap or less
hearing aid satisfaction than would be expected from their performance.
In this study, the investigators use a test known as the Performance-Perceptual Test (PPT)
to determine whether simple counseling based upon discussion of PPT results can be used to
better align perceived and measured ability to understand speech-in-noise; and, more
importantly, whether such counseling can decrease reported handicap and improve hearing aid
satisfaction.
Hearing aid users complete the PPT for aided and unaided listening, along with standardized
questionnaires measuring reported auditory disability, handicap and hearing aid
satisfaction. Following this, subjects are randomly assigned to one of two groups. Subjects
in Group 1 receive counseling from the experimenter in the form of an explanation and
discussion of their PPT results. Subjects in Group 2 also participate in a discussion with
the experimenter, but it does not include an explanation of the PPT. Two weeks after
enrollment in the study subjects complete a second set of questionnaires. Ten weeks after
study enrollment subjects return to the laboratory to rerun the test battery. The impact of
the counseling upon PPT values, reported handicap and hearing aid satisfaction and benefit
will be compared across the two groups.